As an SEO specialist with years of experience, I'm always looking for effective ways to optimize processes and improve results for my clients. One of the tools that has revolutionized my approach to SEO is the PDCA model. It has allowed me to bring structure and methodology to activities that were previously often chaotic and based on intuition. In this article, I will share my experience with using this model in SEO and its combination with the OKR system.
What is the PDCA model and where did it come from?
PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is a cyclical management model, commonly known as the "Deming Cycle."
Itwas originally developed by Walter Shewhart in the 1930s at Bell Laboratories, and later modified and popularized by Dr. W. Edwards Deming.
Dr. Deming was an American engineer, statistician and management consultant who revolutionized the approach to quality in Japanese industry after World War II. His contribution to the development of the Japanese economy was so significant that the Japanese established an award named after him (the Deming Award) to be given for quality achievements.
Deming believed that 94% of quality problems were due to the system and only 6% to human error, which represented a fundamental shift in management thinking.
The PDCA cycle is the foundation for continuous process improvement (kaizen) and is commonly used in quality management systems such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma.
1. plan (Plan)
At this stage, we define goals, identify problems and plan actions. In the context of SEO, this means:
- Keyword analysis
- Technical audit of the website
- Competition study
- Definition of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
- Setting a schedule of activities
2. do (Execute)
This is the moment to implement the planned activities. In SEO, it includes:
- Technical optimization of the website
- Content creation
- Link building
- Implementation of structural changes
- Meta tag optimization
3. CHECK (Check)
This stage involves verifying the results of the actions taken:
- Analysis of position in search results
- Organic traffic study
- Monitoring the conversion rate
- Checking the rejection rate
- Core Web Vitals Verification
4. ACT (Act)
Based on the conclusions of the checking stage, we make adjustments and improvements:
- Adjusting your keyword strategy
- Improvement of technical elements
- Content modification
- Changing approach to link building
- Starting a new PDCA cycle
PDCA in SEO practice: My experience
At NON.agency, I regularly use the PDCA model to optimize SEO campaigns. This allows me to systematically improve my strategy and get better and better results.
For example, for one of our clients in the financial industry:
- PLAN: We conducted a comprehensive SEO audit, which revealed problems with site indexing and a poor internal linking structure. We planned a remediation strategy.
- DO: We implemented technical fixes, optimized the internal linking structure and created new content optimized for selected key phrases.
- CHECK: After one month, we analyzed the results. We saw a 15% increase in organic traffic, but the conversion rate did not improve significantly.
- ACT: Based on the results, we modified the strategy, focusing more on user path optimization and conversion content.
We repeated this cycle regularly, which allowed us to increase organic traffic by 124% and improve the conversion rate by 18% in six months!
Integration of PDCA with the OKR system
I have found that the PDCA model works even more effectively when we combine it with the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system.
OKR is a goal management methodology popularized by Google that helps organizations focus on achieving ambitious goals by defining measurable results.
How I combine PDCA and OKR in SEO:
- Objectives define WHAT we want to achieve. For example: "Increase brand visibility in search results."
- Key Results determine HOW we will measure success. For example: "Increase the number of key phrases in the TOP 10 results by 30%."
- PDCA provides a structure for systematically achieving these goals.
In practice, it looks like this:
- PLAN: We define OKRs for the coming quarter and plan SEO activities.
- DO: We are implementing the planned activities.
- CHECK: We are monitoring the progress of Key Results.
- ACT: We are adjusting our strategy to better achieve our Objectives.
What does the research say?
Studies confirm the effectiveness of the PDCA model in various fields, including digital marketing:
- According to a study by the Harvard Business Review (Kaplan & Norton, "The Balanced Scorecard: Measures That Drive Performance," 2005), organizations that use a systematic approach to process improvement (such as PDCA) achieve 25% higher rates of strategic goal achievement.
- Astudy published Anderson et al, "A Path Analytic Model of a Theory of Quality Management Underlying the Deming Management Method," 1995) found that companies implementing cyclical process improvement models experience an average of 17% improvement in key operational performance indicators.
- Google's research on OKR implementation, published inMeasure What Matters(John Doerr, 2018), showed that organizations using this methodology experience a 38% increase in employee engagement and significantly better business results.
Conclusions and recommendations
The PDCA model combined with the OKR system is a powerful tool for optimizing SEO strategies. Here are the key findings:
- Systematicity is the key - regular PDCA cycles allow for continuous improvement.
- Measurability matters - precise KPIs and Key Results enable objective assessment of progress.
- Flexibility gives you an advantage - willingness to modify strategies based on data leads to better results.
- Holistic approach - integration of different methodologies (PDCA + OKR) allows to use their best aspects.
- Process documentation - recording the conclusions of each PDCA cycle helps avoid repeating mistakes.
At NON.agency, we have implemented this model for all of our clients, which has allowed us to achieve exceptional results in an extremely competitive SEO environment. With this approach, we not only improve our clients' results, but also build a culture of continuous improvement within our team.
